I saw this chart float through my social media stream recently. Talk about click bait! It's a beauty.
Need a bigger version? It's all over the web. Click here for one source from UsefulDIY.
Like many women, I have loved shoes for years. One of my first jobs was at a department store in downtown Dallas called Sanger Harris. It was a nice store. Not quite Neiman Marcus, which was down the street, but definitely head and shoulders above Sears. I worked in the fabric department, back when department stores still had fabric departments. It was on one of the higher floors, so I had to pass through the street level departments to get on the escalator to get up there. The street level had all the fancy and popular departments, including one of the two shoe departments in the store. The high end shoes were on street level. The everyday shoes were upstairs.
When I first started working there, I couldn't believe the prices of some of the shoes on street level. Especially when you could take a quick escalator ride and find something much more affordable upstairs. But as time passed and I became more familiar with the brands and the workmanship, I became immune to the shoe prices downstairs. What used to seem like an outrageous price for a pair of shoes I would rarely wear, evolved into a perfectly reasonable price for quality workmanship in a pair of shoes I definitely deserved. Yes, they were red and yes, they were spectacular.
Since those days, my tastes have really changed. My closet does not now, nor shall it ever contain:
- Jellies. With all due apologies to Jeffrey Lebowski, they're a sprained ankle waiting to happen.
- Forget Mary Janes once 30 is in the rear view.
- Ballerina flats. Not on a narrow size 9.5 foot, thank you very much - all that exposed skin on top makes my feet look like a couple of barges being pushed down the Mississippi.
- Crocs. Aren't Crocs the inspiration for the term 'fugly'?
- Forget heels more than about 3". Too much pressure attempting to stay upright and vertical. I've been trying new things recently, but BDSM isn't one of them.
I see that platforms are back. Didn't care for them in the 70s, don't care for them now. Partly because I am plenty tall enough without them; partly because whenever I see them, I think of strip clubs. Hopefully they are back on their way out again. I have seen a recent resurgence of the spike heel, thank the fashion gods. That's something I would risk a broken ankle for. Everyone looks fantastic in spike heels.
My closet today includes the following from the above chart: flip flops, natch; slip ons; cowboy boots; wellington boots (sort of, although they are more biker); and a couple of pumps in case of emergency festive occasion. I am intrigued about the Uggs. They are not very attractive, but I hear they are very comfy. Living in a warm climate, I am not sure I would be able to enjoy them very often.
Where are sandals on that chart? They are definitely not the same as 'flip flops' IMO. I have tons of sandals. Warm climate, remember? And sneakers. Sneakers and 'Converse' are not the same, not at all. I own loads of sneakers. Serious sneakers for walking, grubby sneaks for gardening, and casual sneaker-like non-sneakers.
All this talk of shoes got me shopping online, of course. While shopping, I discovered some interesting shoe tidbits.
- Shoes used to be interchangeable - there was no 'left' and 'right'.
- Men had way crazier shoe fashions than women.
- The good ol' U.S. of A. used to be a shoemaking powerhouse. Companies in the northeast invented machines to automate shoe manufacturing, bringing prices down and making shoes affordable for the masses. Alas, much of that business has now gone overseas, chasing low labor costs. You can still find American-made shoes, but you really have to dig around.
I will close today with some of my current favorites. They are not American made, but I have enjoyed wearing them and feel I have definitely gotten my money's worth out of them.
- Olukai sandals - not cheap, but amazing comfort and support, good-looking and and long-lasting.
- Skechers - I have a couple of different styles of just kicking around shoes, not sport-specific. Again very comfortable (great arch support) and casually stylish.
- Vans and/or Keds casual sneakers. Lace up, slip on, solid, print, you name it. They're comfy, well made, and fun.
- When I have a little extra $$, I like to sin with Picolinos or Fluevogs. A friend got me hooked on this pricey habit. You have been warned.
And about those red pumps from my Sanger Harris days? Evan Picone. I paid $80 for them in the 1970s, which basically gutted one teenager's part-time paycheck. They sat in a box in my closet for many years, too worn to be worn, until I finally was able to part with them. They were to die for.